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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M LAMBIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DESK ATTACH M ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,512, dated August 9, 1881.

Application filed September 26, 1879.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. LAnBIE, of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desk Attachments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a desk attachment for chairs and other articles of furniture, for the purpose of aifording facility for reading or writing, and for other purposes for which a desk or table may be used.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction, combination, and operation of various devices, whereby provision is made for adjusting the desk in different positions and at different distances, and for connecting it with different articles of furniture, and wherebyT several advantages are obtained, all as hereinafter particularly described.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the manner of carrying out my invention.

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, representing my improvements when attached to a table or an ordinary chair. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a portion ofthe desk, taken in the line ai of Fig. l. Fig. Sis adetail sectional view at right angles to Fig. 2, taken in the line y. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views hereinafter particularly referred to.

The desk attachment is here shown as consisting of a box or case, A, and an adjustable top, A2, arranged to slide thereon and connected thereto in a similar manner to that in which a drawer is connected to a shelf', bench, or table. On the under side of the top A2 are two braces or cleats, A3, which are secured to said top by screws. The screws pass through elongated screw-holes in lugs c* extending laterally from the sides of the cleats, by which means provision is made for contraction and expansion of the top A2. The cleats A3 have ribs or tongues c3 formed on their lower edges, said ribs or tongues projectinginward toward each other and in opposite directions from the lugs cx, above referred to. These ribs or tongues c3 engage with grooves c in the sides of the box or case A, (see Fig. 3,) and thus enable the top A2 to slide on the top of the box or case A.

In order to hold the top A2 in place on the box or case A a sliding spring-bolt, B, is provided. This bolt works in a casing, B2, which is cast in one piece with one of the cleats A3, and the nose of the bolt projects from the end ofthe casing sufficiently to enable it to engage with'a series of recesses or sockets, b, in the side of the box or case A. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) By this means the top A2 may be held in different positions with relation to the box or case A, as illustrated in Figs. l and 2. The box or case A serves in place of a drawer for holding writing materials or other articles, and it may be provided with anninkstand, b", as shown in Figs 2 andk 3. By providing the means for sliding and retaining the top Athe parts may he readily placed in position for writing, as shown in Fig. 2.

For adjusting the desk and retaining it at different angles of inclination, and for rotating it on a center, the following means are employed: On theunder side of the box or case A is secured a plate, C, in which are formed sockets o c, which serve as bearings for the ends of a shaft, l). The plateC is provided with a semicircular or segmental projection,

C2, which extends downward at right anglesl with the surface of the plate proper, and has recesses or depressions c2 formed on one side. The shaft D is provided with a yoke, D2,which surrounds the projection Oz and carries a setscrew, D2, the point of which engages with the depressions c2. The yoke D2 is provided with a nipple or plug, D4, which, when engaging with a socket, as hereinafter described, serves as a pivot on which the desk is rotated on a center. This pivot D4 is intended to always occupy a vertical position when the parts are in place. The desk may be adjusted by loosening the setscrew D3 and moving the desk to the desired position, where it may be retained by tightening the set-screw, so as to causeits point to engage with the depressions c2.

The top A2 is provided with a book-retainer consisting of a strip or bar, E, having on its lowerl edge dowel-pins e, which engage with sockets in the top A2, so that it may be readily placed in position or removed. When the desk is used for reading alone it may be arranged with the book-retainer at the lo wer end of the top A2, as shown inFig. l. When used IOO for writing it may be swung around on its center, so as to bring the book-retainer at the upper end of the top A2, as shown in Fig. 2.

When the desk is used for writing the paper-holder may be employed. This consists of a wire, F, bent at an acute angle, and at the angle coiled so as to form a spring, f, from which the shorter end f2 projects downward and is inserted in a hole in the bar E and the dowel-pin e, while the longer end is curved sufficiently to enable 'it to bear upon the paper on the desk with a firm yet elastic pressure. Two or more of these wires may be used, if desired, as shown in Fig. 3, and they may, also, if desired, be used in connection with a book for holding the leaves open.

The desk attachment above described is su pported by an adjustable rod or standard, which is connected to a chair, bedstead, or other article by means of a clamp. The rod or standard H carries at its upper end a socket, I, for the reception of the plug or pivot D4 of the desk. The socket I is here shown as formed at one end of an arm, h, extending from the standard.

When it is desired to adjust the'desk at different distances from the standard H one or more auxiliary arms are employed. The auxiliary arm J has formed at one end a pivot, J2, and at the other end a socket, I2, which pivot and socket are respectively similar to the pivot D4 and socket I, before described, and are of such shape and dimensions that any one of the pivots and any one of the sockets will flt each other. By this means the desk may be rotated on its center and also swung around, so as to place it at any desired distance within the length ofthe arms.

On referring to Fig. l it will be seen that the sockets I and I2 are each of a regular conical tapering form, while the plugs or pivots D4 and J2 are slightly concave around the periphery of each. By this means a double bearing-surface is formed on each pivot-namely, at the points where it engages with the upper and lower edges of the regular conical socket. By this construction the pivot is made to t suiciently tight to enable it to work smoothly, and at the same time is prevented from binding7 in the socket.

.'The clamp shown in Fig. l is provided with a xed jaw, K, a socket, K2, a curved arm, K3, and a connecting-bar,K4, all cast in one piece. A movable jaw, K5, slides on the bar K41 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5. The bearing-surfaces of the jaws K and K5 are flat. They are clamped to the chair or other article, as illustrated in section, by means of a set-screw, K6, working in the arm K3 and bearing on the movable jaw. The standard H works in the socket K2, and is held firmly at any desired height by means ot' a set-screw, K7. I do'not claim this particular clamp as my invention.

The clamp shown in Fig. 3 is intended particularly for attachment to a chair of the kind known as folding chairs,77 the frames of which are made of bar-iron about one inch and a quarter wide and one-quarter of an inch thick. This clamp is provided with a fixed jaw, L, a socket, L2, a curved arm, L3,and a connectingbar, L4, all cast in one piece. It is also provided with a movable jaw, L5, a set-screw, L, for securing it, and a set-screw, L7, working in the socket for holding the standard H. In other respects, however, this clamp differs from the one last above described. The fixed jaw L and the movable jaw L5 are formed with grooves l in their bearing-surfaces for engagement with the rail lx of a chair, by which means the clamp is enabled to grasp the same firmly and rigidly, and is positively prevented from slipping. The movable jaw L5 has at its rear end two hooks, Z5, which play on either side of a narrowed portion of the bar L4, (see Fig. 6,) so as to guide thejaw and keep it in place. The hooks l5 engage with two abutn1ents,Z",on the bar L4 at a distance from the bearing-surface of the jaw L corresponding with the width ot' thechair-raillx'. Theset-screwLGengageswith the movable jaw L5 at a point about midway between the bar L4 and the rail l", and thus insures the iirm and rigid engagement of the parts. This clamp is not claimed in this application, but is made the subject of another application for Letters Patent.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a book-support or desk attachmentconstructed as described, the metallic braces or cleats A3, provided with the ribs or tongues a3 and the lugs a", with elongated screw-holes therein, the casing B2, east in one piece with the metallic brace or cleat A2, and the sliding spring-bolt B, working in the casing B2, in combination with the box or case A and the top A2 sliding thereon, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. Ina book-support or desk attachment constructed as described, the combination of the box or case A and top A2 sliding thereon, the plate C, attached to box or case A, and provided with the sockets c c and semicircular projection C2, having depressions c2 on one side, the shaft D, having the yoke D2 and concave plug or pivot D4 in one piece therewith, the set-screw D3, working in the yoke D2 and engaging with the depressions c2, and a conical socket connected with a chairor other article for engagement with said plug or pivot D4, substantially as herein described.

3. Ina book-support ordesk attachment constructed as described, the combination of the pivots D4 or J2, having their peripheries concave, so as to form a double bearing-surface on each, and the sockets I or l2, having a regular conical taper for engagement' with said pivots, whereby said pivot-s are enabled to work freely and smoothly in said sockets without binding therein, substantially as herein described.

ROBERT M. LAMBIE. Witnesses J. F. LAMBIE, I. C. MoRRow.

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